My Experience at the FCH Pre-Conference

The Federation for Catechesis with Hispanics (FCH) is a Federation of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL). It's mission is serve those who minister in catechesis with Hispanics. FCH is part of the USHM network of websites.

The FCH annual meeting this year took place in Buffalo NY, on May 17. It was a wonderful and productive event with the attendance of 62 participants and the presence and support of 8 publishers.

The conference’s theme for this year’s meeting was “Effective Catechesis with U.S. Born Hispanic Youth.” The main presenters for the topic were Ken Johnson-Mondragón, for the Instituto Fe y Vida and Lynette De Jesus-Saenz, Director of the Office for Cultural Diversity and the Hispanic Pastoral Institute in the Diocese of Rochester, NY. This dynamic and extraordinary duo made an excellent presentation of current statistical information about the young Latino population in the United States.

Ken and Lynette informed, “Statistics show that the vast majority of Hispanic Catholic young people were born and raised in the United States (of second and third generation status). Statistics also show that these same young people are leaving the U.S. Catholic Church in great numbers and are no longer self-identifying themselves as “Catholic.” In addition, a great number of US.-born Hispanics are less committed to parish life and faith traditions when compared to their own immigrant parents and their first-generation peers.” Even though young Latinos are living the Catholic Church, the majority of Catholic youth are Latinos. Every one ministering to Latinos of all ages should be aware of this reality, because these statists affect all levels of ministry in the Latino population.

Comments/Comentarios

The Federation for Catechesis with Hispanics (FCH) is a Federation of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL). It's mission is serve those who minister in catechesis with Hispanics. FCH is part of the USHM network of websites.

About Us

U.S. Hispanic Ministry believes that Hispanic ministry serves the entire Church and accompanies all Hispanics in their lived contexts and languages. Contributing to this mission, we offer three means of interaction.